Approval rates
Comparing a judge's record to their peers helps you understand the local landscape of the Tulsa hearing office. With 15 judges on record since 2016, the office-wide lifetime approval-rate range spans from 37% to 81%. This variation highlights why your specific evidence and presentation are critical to your outcome. Aggregate rates describe past decisions, not predictions for your individual hearing.
SSA has not published a latest-period approval, fully favorable or denial breakdown for Judge Kallsnick. The most recent period with decisions on record is September 30, 2016. Those rows are left out rather than estimated.
Approval rate over time
Year-over-year approval rate across Judge Kallsnick's docket. Annual rates fluctuate with the mix of cases SSA assigns; the longer-run pattern is more informative than any single year.
Decision pattern
Richard J. Kallsnick has a record of 303 lifetime decisions starting in 2016. The data shows a steady approval pattern over the recorded period. Because case assignment is handled by a random workload-balancing algorithm, you cannot choose your judge, making it essential to understand the general tendencies of the bench.
Preparing for an SSDI hearing
The guidance below applies to any SSDI hearing, not specifically to Judge Kallsnick's bench. Judge-specific preparation guidance requires a corpus of public Appeals Council decisions involving each judge, which we haven't built yet.
- Bring a clean treating-physician record. Longitudinal primary-care or specialist notes spanning the disability period, with consistent symptom documentation, are typically the strongest evidence at hearing. A single month's records usually aren't enough.
- Don't rely on consultative exams alone. If your medical evidence is built primarily around a one-time CE finding, expect detailed questioning. Supplement with treating-source statements where possible.
- Prepare for daily-activity questions. Have honest, specific answers about a typical day. Answers that conflict with the medical record (in either direction) tend to hurt credibility.
- Expect transferable-skills probing. A vocational expert will usually testify about jobs available to someone with your limitations. Your representative should be prepared to cross-examine.
About the Tulsa hearing office
The Tulsa hearing office serves you throughout Oklahoma. This office maintains a bench of 15 judges on record. You can expect a standard administrative process focused on medical evidence and vocational testimony. You can see the Tulsa hearing office page for the full ALJ roster.
Other judges at this hearing office
The Tulsa hearing office has 15 judges on record since 2016. Because cases are distributed randomly, you may be assigned to any of these professionals. Approval rates across this bench vary significantly, ranging from 37% to 81% on a lifetime basis. For preparation purposes, the guidance is the same regardless of which judge you are assigned.
Approval rates change with a lawyer
Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-18-37. The 3× gap is a population-wide average across all judges; individual outcomes vary.
Frequently asked questions
Richard J. Kallsnick has a 62% lifetime approval rate, which sits within the 37% to 81% range seen across the 15 judges at the Tulsa office. An attorney can help you prepare for the specific requirements of this hearing office.
The approval rate for Richard J. Kallsnick has remained steady across the 303 decisions on record since 2016. Understanding these trends is part of how an attorney can help you build a stronger case.
No, you cannot request a specific judge. The SSA uses a workload-balancing algorithm to assign cases randomly to ensure impartiality. An attorney can help you prepare for your hearing regardless of your assigned judge.
An SSDI hearing is a formal but non-adversarial proceeding where a judge reviews your medical evidence and may hear testimony from vocational or medical experts. An attorney can help you prepare your testimony and organize your evidence to ensure the judge has a clear picture of your limitations.
A 62% lifetime approval rate is a statistical observation of past performance, not a guarantee of your specific outcome. Every case is unique, and an attorney can help you identify the specific evidence needed to meet the burden of proof.